Sportsnet One could cost cable subscribers an extra $36 a year

According to a story in the Regina Leader Post today, Rogers Media wants every cable and satellite subscriber in Canada to spend an additional $36 a year with their cable provider for the privilege of having Sportsnet One in their lineup of stations.

The story quotes Trevor Derksen, vice-president of marketing and sales with Access Communications as saying that, although Access is interested in adding Sportsnet One to its lineup, the cost to carry Sportsnet One would be huge because of some ridiculous demands by Rogers.

According to Derksen, Rogers is demanding cable and satellite providers make Sportsnet One available to all of their customers and charge every cable and satellite customer for the priviledge whether they want the station or not.

Derkson tell the Leader Post that rather than giving consumers the choice to subscribe to Sportsnet One as a separate channel, Rogers wants to force it down every cable subscriber’s throat and then make them pay $3 a month for a station they may not even want.

The result is a contract agreement between Access (and most other cable company’s) and Rogers is not happening anytime soon so don’t expect to watching those 25 missing Blue Jays games or the many Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers games previously announced anytime soon.

Rogers tactics are almost Gestapo like. If I am forced to pay for their crappy sports
channels I wont be happy. Those sports jock who want it..pay for it..those of us who
don’t watch sports can spend 36 dollars a year on something we need and want.
If Shaw caves into this blackmail they will have angry customers to contend with. We
already have to pay for many channels we never watch to get the ones that we do watch.
Enough IS Enough.

The next time I meet a Rogers employee, i am gonna F^@$ them up. It’s getting exciting now, two and one-half. Think of everything we’ve accomplished, man. Out these windows, we will view the collapse of rogers! One step closer to economic equilibrium.